Blighted birthday for farm family

1 March 2001



Blighted birthday for farm family

WHEN father and son Ian and Andrew Williamson celebrate their joint birthdays on 1 March, the air is usually full of spring optimism.

Today, as the two farmers enter their 66th and 32nd years, the air around their neighbouring farms is full of rain, snow and the stench of burning livestock.

The two men are spending their birthdays imprisoned at Home Farm, Ponteland, Northumberland, where Ian Williamson has farmed for over 30 years.

Father and son have not left since last weekend when government vets confirmed foot-and-mouth disease at nearby Prestwick Hall Farm, run by Andrew.

The inevitable order to slaughter 140 pedigree Limousin cattle and hundreds of sheep at the two farms soon came afterwards.

“When it was confirmed my wife, Margeret, cried,” Ian Williamson told FARMERS WEEKLY. “But I just said at least we know now.”

Sheer absolute chaos followed. The animals were slaughtered earlier this week, but snow and rain delayed the incineration of the carcasses.

Nevertheless, Ian Williamson insists that the funeral pyres will not mark the end of his familys involvement with farming.

“Even though I am near retiring age, I am more determined than ever to carry on now if my sons want to,” he said.

No livestock can be kept on either farm for the next six months.

There is, however, a third family farm 12 miles away run Mr Williamsons other son, Graeme, in Cambo. So far, it is unaffected by foot-and-mouth.

The popular farming family have kept going with the help of numerous messages of support. But the emotional strain has clearly been immense.

“It gets worse every day,” Mr Williamson said.

Close neighbour Paul Harrison, who has 60 pedigree Holstein milking cows, summarised local sympathy towards Ian Williamson and his family.

“He is an intelligent man and a good farmer. We are all so sad for him.”

Mr Harrisons family has also confined themselves to their farm. Their parents drop plastic bags of food by the farm gate so they have enough to eat.

Its terrible knowing the farm could be next in line to get foot-and-mouth.

“Its like sitting alone in a dinghy in the middle of the ocean on a time bomb waiting for it to go off,” said Mr Williamson.

“We still have the cow that won the Great Yorkshire Show in 1996. To lose her would be like losing one of the family.”